501® JEANS

It began with a patent back in 1873. A way to add rivets to denim work pants, making them more durable for a tough day in the mines. These work pants are what we now call blue jeans, 501® Originals. They’re still tough. Still resilient. And yes, many of us still wear them to work. But in their time, they’ve come to embody something you can’t patent: style. Rule-breaking, gender-bending, Wild West, do-what-you-want style. The kind that’s been defining cool for decades. The kind you can only find in a pair of straight-fit, button-fly jeans, loved and lived-in to perfection.

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THE BIRTH OF AN ORIGINAL

NEVER WORN THE SAME

In 1873, workers who’d flocked to the American West in search of fortune needed pants that could endure, so Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis combined quality denim and rivet reinforcements to design the first pair of blue jeans: Levi’s® 501® Originals. Created before the invention of the zipper, their signature button fly is a key detail that defines them, even now. And of course, our iconic Two Horse patch — first stitched to the original — is something we still carry near and dear to our heart. It’s a reminder of Levi’s original promise: “It’s no use, they can’t be ripped.” Today, we make them for men and women. Cropped, straight and skinny. In stretch and Shrink-to-Fit™. Shorts and overalls. For everyone, everywhere. They’re a blank canvas for self-expression that molds to their wearer’s body and lifestyle — to you. That’s why we say, they can never be worn the same.

THE SHRINK-TO-FIT™

Levi’s® were originally made of raw denim that would shrink when washed (hence the name). In technical terms, Shrink-to-Fit™ jeans are unsanforized. In regular people terms, they haven’t been washed (or pre-shrunk) during the production process — so you can wear them as-is or shrink for a custom fit.

THE FIRST-EVER JEAN SHORTS

People have been giving their 501® jeans a second life as cut-off shorts for as long as we can remember. For those not as brave to hack into their favourite pants, we created 501® shorts. They’re everything you love about the original, but...shorter.

THE NEW OLD-SCHOOL

Levi’s® Vintage Clothing reproduces the fits, fabrics and details (even the packaging!) of bygone eras — each piece granting a chance to relive our treasured past. Of course, that includes some of our most historic 501® Jeans.